NON-IMAGING OPTICAL ILLUMINATION SYSTEM

摘要

A passive solar collector (208) has a reflector or a plurality of reflectors (216, 218) in a tube (210) that is in a partial vacuum and is entirely or partly transparent. An absorber (226) collects light reflected by the reflector or plurality of reflectors and delivers energy from the collected light to a central tube where it heats a substance such as water or other fluid. The absorber (226) is disposed at an angle to the axis of the passive solar collector. The passive solar collector (208) is protected against overheating by one or more devices such as a getter (240) that releases a gas to reduce the vacuum or an opaque shield that is placed so as to cover the reflector in response to an indication of overheating. Reflecting surfaces of the solar collector may be symmetrical or asymmetrical and may be smooth or they may have dents.